Our Veep is Retiring, Just Like David Letterman

The Ad Club year is winding down, and that means some board members are leaving us. Before they do, we caught up with these talented individuals to hear about their experience and advice for future board members.

This summer our VP, Katie Briggs, will be among those leaving us. Before she goes, here’s what she had to say:

Four years ago, a colleague and Ad Club board member nominated me for an open spot on the board. While I wasn’t entirely sure of what I was signing up for at the time, I can’t thank her enough for encouraging me to go for it. As my second term is nearing its end, I was asked to share my experience with you. So, in honor of Letterman’s recent retirement I created a Top 10 List about my time on the board. Here it goes…

“Things I was able to do because of the Ad Club”

10. Eat a free dinner once a month

9. Scope out other board member’s offices and report back on cool things we should get in ours

8. Grow my network (and my LinkedIn connections)

7. Earn trust from not one, but two, agencies to represent them on the board

6. Ramp up our academics programming, including: the annual Big Tip Off scholarship fundraiser, Portfolio Review and Career Day

5. Attract PR people to the Ad Club and demonstrate how PR plays a significant role in IMC

4. Serve as Veep, though I would’ve liked access to Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s wardrobe

3. Not only attend the ADDYs (and the after parties!) but see what goes into planning them

2. Host the American Advertising Federation D2 Conference – giving us the opportunity to showcase everything awesome about Buffalo

1. Meet Seth Godin, Peter Shankman, Jesse Reed, Vic Carucci and ad pros from around the region

I credit the Club for helping me advance my career all while growing personally these last few years (new last name, new job, new house, new puppy). While it’s hard to sum up all of my experiences into one post, I can tell you that I wrote, I strategized, I planned, I collaborated, I learned, and I met some of the brightest and hardest-working people in advertising. It was an honor to grow alongside them and even more rewarding to call them friends.

If you’re considering joining the board, do it. Yes, it’s a big time commitment. And yes, you may already have a lot on your plate. But I promise you’ll find a way to make it work and have some of the best experiences of your life along the way.

I’ll be seeing you,
Katie Briggs
Ad Club Vice President, Crowley Webb PR Manager